Mechanical chair



Patented May 6, 1952 ME CHANICAL CHAIR Alwin Kost, Portland, Oreg., assigner vto Kost Multiple X, Inc., Portland, '.Oreg., arcor-poration of Oregon Application May 21, 1947, seriauvo; 749,538

Claims.' (Cl..128#+33) This invention relates to a mechanicalxchair or similar articles having driven means for imparting thereto a restful and relaxing movement.

An object of this invention is to provide an article of furniture having a support for the body of a person and having mechanical means connected with said support for imparting to the same a movement that is highly restful'and relaxing to a person thereon.

This invention is herein illustrated as applied to a chair but it will be understood that the same may be applied to a bed or cradle or to any like article of furniture.

The means for imparting movement tothe furniture article herein disclosed is of a type somewhat similar to that disclosed in my prior patent on Mechanical Movements, No. 2,246,689 issued June 24, 1941.

Another object of this invention is to provide Va 'chair or similar piece of furniture having means for imparting thereto a movement of relatively slow speed that is highly restful and relaxing to a person thereon and that tends to induce sleep.

Other lobjects are to provide an article of furniture of this type that is smooth and noiseless in operation and that is very strong and durable.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

' In vthe drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred form of chair constructed in accordance `with this invention.

Fig.' 2 .isa' front elevation ofthe same.

"Fig 3 is a verticalisectional view in a radial plane through the base portion of this chair, parts of `the upper structure of the chair being omitted.

Fig. 4 is a detached elevational View showing the drivingmeans used in structure shown in Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 .and 6 are fragmentary vertical sectional views, 'with parts in elevation taken substantially on broken lines 5 5 and 6 6 of Fig. 3.

Like reference numerals designate like parts throughout the severa-1 views.

"The vchair Vshown in Figs. 1 to 6 will first be described.- Said chair comprises a box like base housing 2i) of suitable size and shape. The upper portion ofthe base housing 2D has an inwardly inclined, upwardly extending, annular member 2l rigidly secured thereto. 'I'he member 2l is provided with a spherical outer Wall 22 for reasonsY hereinafter explained.V Prefer'- 'ably' foot lmem-bers 23 are attached to the under side ofthe'base and are adapted to rest on a oor or like support. A metal base plate 24 is disposed within Athe housing 2t and is secured tothe bottom of said housing 2i) as by bolts 2in,

The base plate 24 has an upwardly extending bracket 26 that is positioned centrally of the housing 219 Vand carries a ball and socket means 'bywh-ichtheupper structure of the chair is supported. The upper structure of the chair comprises asuitably upholstered portion 2i mounted cna chair seat base 2S. The upholstere'dvportion'preferably has a leg rest 29 extendingy forwardly therefrom, as shown in Figs. land 2'.` IThe chair seat base 28 has an annular peripheral flange 3G that fits over the an- -nular'member 2| and operates in close enough proximity to thespherical Wall 22 of said inner member 2l so that there will be substanltialiy no danger of any person becoming pinched between thesey two relatively moving members.

idly secured thereto by a cap screw 3l and washer 38." AThe ball 34 is supported for universal movement by bearing means 39 that rests on a collar* 4B. The-'bearing means 39 and collar vel?) `are-disposed within a bracket 4| of inverted cup shape `that is'secured to the central bracket 2t by 4cap-screws 42. The parts just described thus -formuniversal joint means for supporting the -upperstructure of-the chair for universal movement.

' "The'metal'disc 3l has a downwardly extendving-bracket i3 vrigidly connected with the peripheral portion thereof. A bearing mem-ber d4 in-'the bracket 43 rotatively receives a crank 45 Athat is slightly inclined relative to the axis of the shaft 46 and the crank i5 and shaft 4t are'positioned so'that their projected axes intersect at'thecenter of the ball 34.

rlviouslyrotation of the shaft 45 will impart a 'gyratory 'movement to `the chair seat base 28 and to' the' upper. chair structure.

In addition to the above described means for imparting tothe-upper structure of the chair the movement ljustmentioned I also provide means controlling Ltilting of the upper chair structure about aniaxis common. to the ball 34 and the crank 45' and for imparting to said upper chair structure a sidewise rocking movement. This means comprises an upright piston 50 slidably disposed in a bearing member 5| in a sleeve 52. The sleeve 52 has two rigid horizontal aligned pivot studs 53 and 54 projecting radially therefrom near its bottom end. The pivot stud 53 is rotatively supported in the bracket 25. The pivot stud 54 is rotatively supported in another bracket 55 on the base plate 24. The horizontal axis common to the two pivot studs 53 and 54 intersects the vertical axis that passes through the center of the ball 34. The upper` end portion of the piston 50 is connected with the metal disc 3| by pivot means having a horizontal axis that is positioned atright angles to the axis of the piston 50 and at right angles to the common axis of the pivot studs 53 and y54. The pivot means for connecting the upper end portion of the piston 5B with the metal disc 3| comprise two spaced apart lugs 55, see Fig. 5, on the disc 3| that rotatively support a shaft 51. The shaft 51 is rigidly clamped in a cross bracket 5S that is rigid with the upper end portion of the piston 58. This cross bracket 58 can be split, as shown in Fig. 3, and the two parts thereof can be clamped on the shaft 51 by cap screws 59.

The projected axis of crank 45 passes through the center of ball 34 and the axis of pivot shaft 51 is at right angles to and intersects this projected axis of crank 45. The piston assembly comprising parts 5B to 59 inclusive controls tilting of the upper chair structure about this axis common to crank 45 and ball 34. When crank 45 is revolved this axis will be moved in a conical path and the piston 55, being pivotally supported by studs I53 and 54, will be caused to rock on these studs and will impart to the upper chair structure a back and forth tilting movement about this common axis of crank 45 and ball 34. The vertical component of movement imparted by crank 45 to pivot shaft 51 will be taken care of by reciprocating movement of piston 55 in sleeves' A means for driving the shaft i6 to thereby impart movement to4 the upper structure of the chair is shown in Figs. 3 and 4. This means comprises a motor 55 resting on rubber pa-ds 6| and secured to the bottom of the housing 25 by bolts 52. The motor 55 has a speed reduction driving connection with the shaft 46 by means of small pulley 53, V belt 54, belt wheel 65, small pulley 55, V belt 61, belt wheel 68, small pulley 59, V belt it and belt wheel 'i I. The belt wheel 65 and pulley E6 are rigid with each other and are rotatively mounted on the shaft 45. The belt wheel 68 and pulley GS are also rigid with each other and are mounted on shaft means 12 supported by bracket means 13 that is secured to the bottom of the housing 2|) by bolts 14. The belt wheel 1l is keyed or otherwise non-rotatively secured to the shaft 45.

Preferably means are provided for tightening all of the belts E4, 61 and 1D. One way of doing this is to provide slots 15 for the bolts 52 and l which secure the motor 6|! and bracket 13 respectively to the bottom of the housing 20. The slots 15 are positioned so that the motor 60 and bracket 13 can be adjusted toward and away from the shaft 4B. Obviously the adjustment needed for properly adjusting the tension of the belts 64, 61 and 10 can be provided for in other ways. Obviously silent chains and the proper sprocket wheels therefor can be used in` place of the belts 64, B1 and 1i) and pulleys 63, 65, 66, 68, 69 and 1|.

The belt drive just described is substantially silent and provides for the required speed reduction.

The bearing members 39 and 41 and all other bearing members in the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 6 are preferably of a material which will operate for a long period of time without lubrication.

In the operation of the structure shown in Figs. 1 to 6 the motor B0 operating at normal speed will impart a relatively slow rotation to the shaft 46. This causes the crank 45 to impart gyratory movement to the upper chair structure. When the upper chair structure is thus moved its connection with the piston 50 will impart to it a sidewise tilting movement or oscillation. Thus continuous three-dimensional movement is imparted to the upper chair structure. This relatively slow three-dimensional movement has been found to be very restful and relaxing and sleep inducing to a person seated in the chair.

The foregoing description and accompanying drawings clearly disclose preferred embodiments of this invention but it will be understood that these disclosures are merely illustrative and that changes can be made within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

I claim:

l. A chair comprising a base portion; an upper structure; a ball and socket joint mounting said upper structure on said base portion; a driven crank connected with said upper structure operable to simultaneously pivotally oscillate said upper structure about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis; and a piston connected with said upper structure operable to simultaneously pivotally oscillate said upper structure about another horizontal axis substantially at right angles to said first mentioned horizontal axis.

2. A chair comprising a base housing; a supporting bracket in said base housing; a disc; a ball and socket joint mounting said disc on said supporting bracket; an upper chair structure carried by said disc; a driven crank connected with said disc and operable to simultaneously pivotally oscillate the same about a horizontal axis and a vertical axis; and a piston connected with said disc operable to simultaneously pivotally oscillate said disc about another horizontal axis substantially at right angles to said first mentioned horizontal axis.

3. A chair comprising a base housing; a supporting bracket in said base housing; a disc; a ball and socket joint mounting said disc in a generally horizontal position on said supporting bracket; an upper chair structure carried by said disc; a horizontal driven shaft; a crank on said shaft connected with said disc and operable to simultaneously pivotally oscillate said disc about a horizontal axis and about a vertical axis; a substantially upright piston positioned below said disc; a pivot positioned below said disc with its axis at right angles to the axis of said horizontal driven shaft and pivotally connecting said piston with said disc; a sleeve slidably supporting said piston; and a pivot positioned with its axis substantially parallel to the axis of said driven shaft and pivotally mounting said sleeve on said supporting bracket, whereby said piston is operable to simultaneously pivotally oscillate said disc about another horizontal axis substantially at right angles to said first mentioned horizontal axis.

4. A chair comprising a base housing; a supporting bracket in said base housing; a disc; a ball and socket joint mounting said disc in a generally horizontal position on said supporting bracket; an upper chair structure carried by said disc; a horizontal driven shaft; a crank rigid with the inner end portion of said shaft and inclined relative to said shaft so that the projected axes of said crank and said shaft intersect, said shaft and saidpcrank being positioned so that the point where their projected axes intersect is coincident with the center of said ball and socket joint andl said crank being connected with said disc and .Jpperable to simultaneously pivotally oscillate .said disc about a horizontal axis and a vertical' :axis: and a piston connected with said disc operable vto simultaneously pivotally oscillate said disc about another horizontal axis substantially at right angles to said first mentioned horizontal axis.

5. A chair comprising a base housing; a supporting bracket in said base housing; a disc; a ball and socket joint mounting said disc on said supporting bracket; an upper chair structure carried by said disc; an externally spherical said disc and the upper chair structure carried thereby.

ALWIN KOST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,602,196 Iverson Oct. 5, 1926 1,984,397 Dalyze Dec. 18, 1934 2,284,445 Pettit May 26, 1942 2,349,837 Wettlaufer May 30, 1944 

